Team List Preseason 2025 Trial 2 - Warriors vs Storm

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Capewell is going through the motions as is Marata Niukore.

We all know why, it is because NRL players do not take the Warriors seriously, so apart from some stand out exceptions, the majority come here when they are looking for pay days and easy times.

That is cool. Webster is not a fool he can see the same things we do every week. What Webster needs is options, he needs the young forwards internally to force Marata and Capewell out of the club, unfortunately at the moment those blokes cruising are still better than our tomorrow stars.

I guess we are not used to seeing players get better and better as the year goes on?

 

[CWC]

SJ was crap in his 2023 trial game

That term grain of salt is ideal for trial forms…

 

[Ref]

FFS the season hasn’t even started.
We had a pre season game where lots of players had a hit out, we defended pretty well and had some nice ball movement at times and threw the ball to space on early tackles sometimes. Bit of clunkiness as was expected. No one was terrible. Attitude was good.
Some bad ball handling on the left may have cost us two tries but hey it’s pre season.
Pretty sure we will see TMM get more involved this Saturday.
The TMM and LM combo will be lethal if Webby can get the chemistry right.
We lose a winger and the world is ending.
Not so.
Kosi, Kali, Dion A, MGT, Pasikala can fill in decently enough I reckon but T will probably get the nod in R1.
Onwards and Upwards.

 

[Ref]

11. Laban
12. Halasima
13. Vaimauga

I reckon that could be the best back row in the comp, in a year or so...

Or Now!

 

[Boats n Hoes]

My guess is that the reason Leka is being given some middle experience is that Webster is looking to foster his Andrew Fafita qualities, this will prove especially true if Leka keeps growing physically.

I see his blooding in the middle as just part of development plan specific to him as someone special that could play anywhere in the Scrum outside of hooker.

Webster likes leg speed in his props and he likes some footwork and hole running from his props when they are inside the opposition twenty (AFBs role).

I take it Webster wants leka to speed up our middle third, add some unpredictability in the middle, and use his mass, speed and foot work to win that ruck, especially when JFH and or Barnett are off.

I also believe Webster is smart enough to imagine Leka the big fast mobile middle forward being placed on an edge for a set play.

I actually think it will be good for him.

Part of where Lekas future lies depends on how well others perform in the middle. ergo Leka to the middle is just a symptom that at present our middles are not good enough.

Also Leka is most likely going to be an impact middle forward which means he is gonna run off Walker, i won't extrapolate on why that would be a good thing.

Great points.

Youve actually got me keen on the idea now.

AFB was such a weapon for us close to the line with his late footwork and power.....likewise Leka's power to size ratio (with footwork) is out the gate and maybe the idea is to use him in this fashion.

Care to extrapolate on Walker? I think he's had a larger role than just upping the tempo when he comes off the bench that most of us see......in several SJ interviews last year he alluded that Walker was the go to guy to get the attack to certain parts of the field and setting up for the shifts.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Care to extrapolate on Walker?

Fuuu! ??? That's a flash word! Is that like an extra tug on the same day? I usually have to wait a week. Then, Onto a player? You kinky bugger!

 

[watcher]

i'd swap clark & niukore plus where's walker ? & im trying to decipher some of your comments..otherwise i quite like your team

To be honest o erlooked Walker, he can go 13. Capewell did OK end of year but Marata didnt fire a shot.

 

[Neo]

If you have an immensely talented guy like Halasima why not make him the 5th member of your spine? Playing at lock like a Yeo or Murray and allowing him to have a massive influence on the game. If he possesses a passing game and then can take the metres on offer when available to keep the defence compressed what is wrong with that? Webster has already stated that he has been training there so if we use Demetric as a big bodied second rower with an offload and Halasima creating havoc in the middle I can only see that as a positive

 

[Canonball]

If you have an immensely talented guy like Halasima why not make him the 5th member of your spine? Playing at lock like a Yeo or Murray and allowing him to have a massive influence on the game. If he possesses a passing game and then can take the metres on offer when available to keep the defence compressed what is wrong with that? Webster has already stated that he has been training there so if we use Demetric as a big bodied second rower with an offload and Halasima creating havoc in the middle I can only see that as a positive

You've got to think that they've been working on something like this in certain situations, i.e. there has to be an attacking shape for the middle, just as there's clearly a shape for the right. Just not sure that we will see Halasima with a regular spot yet - i'd love it if we did, as that would mean he really has gone past Niukore or Capewell in fundamentals

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I'm looking forward to the trial tomorrow. Just hoping for a step up in intensity and cohesion.

I'm not expecting anything close to perfection, I just wanna see the belief in the game plan restored, as per 2023.

 

[Kaos A.D.]

Looking forward to seeing the halves pairing again, shame Tanah Boyd is out, the guys at the bloke in the bar podcast had some decent reviews on him, so did Jamie Soward and basically thought Titans were the problem with his development, can't wait to see what Walker and Vaimauga, the new bold bros can do, was the best part of last week's game, hoping Halasima can get in on that action... Was a bit meh with Clarks signing but I thought he looked real good and just stiffens everything up in the middle before the new boldbros come on and do some damage with Sam Healy running out from dummy half ..... everyone else picked needed another run after being rusty, mainly Niukore, Capewell, Kosi... And just looking forward to those who missed out in the first game and what they'll bring, can see RTS making big metres in his new position on the wing.... If we can keep errors low this season and our halves are consistent with the odd glimpse of brilliance I can see us being very competitive, let's hope our halves can step up

 

[SJ2k]

SJ was crap in his 2023 trial game

That term grain of salt is ideal for trial forms…

SJ is a class above a lot of these players. However I went to that game and SJ kicked it out immediately and I think missed touch on a penalty. I was like oh for fucks sake this cunts washed up. Boy did I get it wrong.

 

[Noitall]

SJ is a class above a lot of these players. However I went to that game and SJ kicked it out immediately and I think missed touch on a penalty. I was like oh for fucks sake this cunts washed up. Boy did I get it wrong.

I was in that camp with you with egg on my face

 

[sup42]

Care to extrapolate on Walker? I think he's had a larger role than just upping the tempo when he comes off the bench that most of us see......in several SJ interviews last year he alluded that Walker was the go to guy to get the attack to certain parts of the field and setting up for the shifts.

Yeah I just meant Walkers vision. playing at the line, popping short balls around that middle third in attack, rather than say Leka on the hip of someone like Metcalf or TMM who might use him as a decoy too often.

 

[watcher]

Yeah I just meant Walkers vision. playing at the line, popping short balls around that middle third in attack, rather than say Leka on the hip of someone like Metcalf or TMM who might use him as a decoy too often.

I like TMM but think that Boyd with his kicking might be better value?

 

[Beastmode]

FFS the season hasn’t even started.
We had a pre season game where lots of players had a hit out, we defended pretty well and had some nice ball movement at times and threw the ball to space on early tackles sometimes. Bit of clunkiness as was expected. No one was terrible. Attitude was good.
Some bad ball handling on the left may have cost us two tries but hey it’s pre season.
Pretty sure we will see TMM get more involved this Saturday.
The TMM and LM combo will be lethal if Webby can get the chemistry right.
We lose a winger and the world is ending.
Not so.
Kosi, Kali, Dion A, MGT, Pasikala can fill in decently enough I reckon but T will probably get the nod in R1.
Onwards and Upwards.

Calm down ref!

FFS.